You can’t afford to have cancer
Cancer is costly. From the day you are diagnosed, the mental, emotional and physical toll grows.
It may cost you your freedom, if only temporarily, as future dreams are put on pause. It could show up as the loss of an organ, your breasts, maybe your hair. It could cost your fertility health, intimacy or social connections.
For far too many, it costs them their life.
And if those costs weren’t great enough, it also costs you financially. Despite living in a country with universal health care, many people in Canada are paying out of pocket for lifesaving and life-enhancing products and services — things like testing, medications, prostheses, assistive products, caregiver costs and travel costs.
These are costs that hit hard, especially in today’s economy.
Cancer isn’t something we plan for — and certainly not something most people budget for. So when a diagnosis hits, it hits hard financially. Studies show that the out-of-pocket costs for someone with cancer in Canada can range from an average of $260 to as much as $550 per month.
In a recent Angus Reid survey, 90 per cent of respondents said that a sudden cancer diagnosis would impact their household finances and 30 per cent said they would have to go into debt to pay for the out-of-pocket costs of a cancer diagnosis.
On World Cancer Day (Feb. 4), the Union for International Cancer Control had a mission to “close the care gap.” They say that who you are and where you live can mean the difference between life and death. We’d like to believe Canada is excluded from this global conversation, but the truth is that cancer disproportionately affects communities that are underserved and the issue of affordability is felt more severely among those who are marginalized.
So how do we make inroads? It takes all of us. It takes governments implementing policies that reduce the financial burden of cancer. It takes charities stepping in to provide support otherwise not available. It takes employers looking out for their employees’ health and well-being, and not just their bottom line. It takes people with greater security and means lending a hand. It takes every one of us caring for those in our community in need, because one day that could be us.
Nothing big gets solved by one person. It takes a society.
If you’re reading this and want to help, there are so many ways to get involved. Donate to help support charities that are making life easier for those experiencing the financial strain of a cancer diagnosis. Volunteer your free time and help people get essential services — like a ride to treatment — at no cost. Offer a helping hand to someone you know who is going through a cancer diagnosis.
And if you want to see the system change, lend your voice. Add your signature to a letter to the federal government at cancer.ca/costofcancer and show them there’s a whole community that cares about cancer and expect better.
Cancer comes with a great enough price tag. Let’s make the financial cost of cancer one less thing to worry about.